A row is brewing over how a field due to be used for a new Park and Ride site serving Exeter in the village of Ide should be designated.

The Ide Neighbourhood Plan was submitted in its entirety to Teignbridge District Council on February 9 and public consultation on the plan has now begun.

But Teignbridge District Council are set to formally object to one of the policies in the plan - Policy IDE07 – about the Ide Gateway Enhancement Area – about the Roundfield area that is the site of the proposed 556-space “Round Field” Park and Ride facility, next to the A30 slip road.

The Roundfield area of Ide

The policy says that proposals for development within the Ide Gateway Enhancement Area will only be supported if they do not have an adverse impact on the rural character of the Village entrance or its approaches along the Ide Village Road.

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But Teignbridge District Council say that it is refuted that Roundfield is rural in character and there is ‘evidence that the inclusion of Roundfield in Policy IDE07 has been specifically identified to frustrate strategic infrastructure development required to support a major residential allocation in the adopted Local Plan, which has wider benefits for the District as a whole.’

A report, which the council’s executive committee are asked to endorse on Tuesday morning, concludes: “Teignbridge District Council formally object to the extent of Policy IDE07: Ide Gateway Enhancement Area.

“The site identified in the Policy as Roundfield is geographically separated from the settlement of Ide and has no visual access to either residents, other than the presence of mature hedgerows and trees, the majority of which will be retained in the event of any redevelopment

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“It is refuted that Roundfield is rural in character, with visual access directly onto the A30 and high levels of both noise and light pollution

“There is evidence that the inclusion of Roundfield in Policy IDE07 has been specifically identified to frustrate strategic infrastructure development required to support a major residential allocation in the adopted Local Plan, which has wider benefits for the District as a whole.

“The inclusion of Roundfield in the Enhancement Area is contrary to Strategic policies S5 and SWE1 in the Local Plan and the IDP (2016), which identifies the Roundfield as a potential location for this required park and ride scheme.

“As such Roundfield should be excluded from the Enhancement Area.”

Cllr John Goodey, Teignbridge’s Executive for Community Neighbourhoods, added: “We are highly supportive of neighbourhood planning and congratulates Ide NDP Steering Group on reaching this milestone The planning department have significant concerns over the application of one policy in the Ide Neighbourhood Plan – Policy IDE7: Ide Gateway Enhancement Plan. This policy is considered to stand contrary to the strategic policies in the adopted local plan and development needs of the district. The policy and the extent to which it applies is seen to be frustrating strategic development of a park and ride facility proposed for the Ide/Alphington A30 junction under policy SWE1. As such, the Council is compelled under its statutory duties to object to the Plan, which an independent examiner must consider when deciding whether the plan should go forward to referendum.” ENDS

The Ide Gateway area map

But the neighbourhood plan says that the land should be valued and protected, and their view is backed by the Campaign to Protect Rural England who support the aim of Ide Parish Council to protect the gateway to the village from development. The plan says that Ide has a distinct rural character which would be compromised by any development along the road from the junction with the A30.

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In 2016, residents of Ide voted 4-1 against the £6million park-and-ride scheme in a historic referendum after Devon County Council had proposed creating 566 parking spaces on the site to reduce the traffic levels along one of the main arterial routes into the city – Alphington Road.

The previous Ide Park-and-Ride plan

Devon County Council then withdrew the plans in June 2016, but at the time the council said it would continue to work on the proposals which it saw as an “essential” part of Exeter’s growth plans.